Fonterra eyes EcoPond pilot to reduce on-farm emissions
Fonterra has invested in a new effluent pond mobile dosing service to support farmers to reduce emissions and make progress towards its on-farm emissions reductions target.
For years seen as a nuisance, the contents of an effluent pond are now recognised as valuable nutrient, the company comments.
It cites the experience of Ikawai Dairies, near Waimate, which bought a Slurryquip umbilical system and soon could see a "huge benefit" – present and future.
Farm spokesman Ben Smith says before they bought the system they were discharging effluent via pivots and K-Line pods. But blockages took time to fix and grass growth suffered.
Webbline sales manager Glen Malcolm claims that compared to other methods of effluent discharge the Slurryquip can move large amounts of slurry in a short time.
Take a 20,000L tanker for example: at three loads per hour this equates to 60,000L/hour discharge, versus the Slurryquip's discharge rate in excess of 200,000L/h.
Ikawai Dairies tractor driver Perry Henriksen agrees. "I'm amazed at the volume we move with this unit," he says. "It's taken me a few days to get the hang of the process. Because this block hilly I'm learning to use it mainly on the hills, which is more difficult than operation on the flat.
"We have five ponds between the farms, collecting effluent from 4000 cows so that is serious volume of effluent. The Slurryquip is set up with nearly 2km of hose (6 inch and 5 inch) then discharged out through a 9m dribble bar.
"Recently we've been discharging on steep hills and I've been pumping about 1.5km with a lift from the pump to outlet of up to 100m, and even then we're still achieving nearly 200,000L/h discharge. Compare this to applying on the flat: we're getting more like 230,000 – 250,000L/h. This is impressive when we're running the pump on a 150hp John Deere 6920."
Also impressive, Perry says, is the thickness of the product they can pump.
"One of the ponds had a crust thick enough to walk; we put the NC stirrer from Webbline into the pond and were able to stir up everything and pump it out."
Says Malcolm, "You can add to a Slurryquip system at any time. For example, we can set up a basic unit with a 800m hose for no more than $100,000, so a dairy farmer or contractor can lease a basic system for a little over $20,000 per season. Then as time or funds permit you can add to it – more hose, GPS systems for proof of placement, etc.
"If you need more hose you buy another reel to carry it on as the reel lifters are interchangeable, so you can be running several reels of hose and need only one lifter. And distance is no problem: we had a client who earlier in the winter had set up with two pumps – one at the pond and one pump inline – and he was pumping 3.5km from the shed to the runoff block and still discharging 100,000L/h.
Tel. 0800 932 254
